DAY 9
Today, we began with a hearty breakfast and then prepared to head out, thanking our hosts profusely and petting as many of the animals good-bye as would sit still for it. I had a hard time leaving Mina—I doubt she'll survive for me to see again if I go back next year. Still, she was a darn happy dog, so I can't be too sad.
The ride back to Guatemala City was uneventful, (if you can call darting through the sketchy traffic patterns while oogling far-off volcanoes uneventful), and made it to Dr. Dennis's bar unscathed.
So I posted this on Facebook, but figured I should post it here too so the family can see it. :)
As some of you might know, I've been working to adopt a cat through a classmate, and had very few qualifiers about the kind of cat I wanted. Basically, I wanted it to be old, and I wanted it to be black, as those are two traits that can make it more difficult for a cat to be adopted out.
Still working on finishing up my Guatemala blog series (so close!), so I thought I'd share something from professor in my Intro to Surgery class.
Guatemala: Day 8
On our very first day of no work, I woke up at the leisurely hour of 9 to the smell of frying baking and percolating coffee, rolled over my mosquito-free enclosure, and let the sweet calls of tropical birds pull towards wakefulness.
Just kidding.
I got up at 5:15 am with everybody else so we could go on another adventure. Sans breakfast.
IMPT NOTE: If anyone from my trip reads this all the way through, I really hope you got my message that it was AWESOME and I regret NOTHING and I certainly don't blame anyone for my bad moods or behavior. The following blog is explanatory, not accusatory.
I took too long to keep up with blog (with good reason, as you will see!), which means I can no longer describe every single detail of my day. Sorry, guys—I know how riveting my breakfasts are.
Today we began with a meal that while delicious, did not severely challenge my sense of comfort--pancakes! Also, each meal has been accompanied by a fresh mystery juice. I call it a "mystery" because I don't ask what it is before I taste it, to see if I can guess. Today was papaya, and each different juice has been delicious.
This morning, we set out for our second village, Yalu (pronounced Jah-loo). Did I mention before how strange the juxtaposition is between our temporary residence here and these villages? We live in first-world accommodations, but a scant 30 minutes away we are plunged into a third-world area that's really just blowing my mind. Our little public building in Yalu had no running water at all, and we race the daylight in order to get as many spays and neuters done as possible (25 today!).
Okay, guys, this won't be my best bit of writing. It's 11:00 pm on Thursday and I am tired, but I figure I'll forget some of the details if I don't type things out now. It's been an awesome trip so far, despite some inauspicious beginnings.